Posting photos from only 1 year ago? Pfft. 2012 Womad via the long way

TimC

TimC

Tour Pro
I'm a slow photo-processor - I've been on another similar loop of SA since then, but only recently got around to putting the first batch of photos online. I'm also a slow packer on holidays. And not very organised, so leave Melbourne maybe 11am to get to Hattah-Kulkyne National Park on dusk after a spectacular Murray Cod dinner at Ouyen pub:

p3054045 by Tim Connors, on Flickr



What a magic place. Wish I was not traveling solo so I could go a bit deeper down these paths without getting worried about becoming just another skeleton in the desert.



I hated this part of the country when I lived there as a primary schooler.


Clearly I didn't own a motorcycle back then:







 
TimC

TimC

Tour Pro
Mmm, dinner on Lake Victoria:
p3064122 by Tim Connors, on Flickr



Why I'm really here. Screw the music/culture festival:


I used to travel to Mannum every year to visit Dad. What a hole. Nothing of worth in Mannum; in fact, the whole of SA. It's why I haven't been back:



I mean, endless beaches:



Dead lakes:


They can't even afford to build bridges across the Coorong lakes:



Can you guess the angle I had to lean the bike over to keep straight?


Following twowheeler's example in http://www.austouring.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4904, I decided to cross every ferry I could find (especially when the shortcut meant that I might have a chance of finding fuel before the tank runs completely dry, 100km from civilisation, rendering me into aforementioned skeleton form):



Open my mouth at the Murray:

 
TimC

TimC

Tour Pro
I hear there's good riding on Kangaroo Island. Can't afford the bloody ticket though:

p3084240 by Tim Connors, on Flickr

The 1200 is too tall a bike for a moggy:



I have a piece of the old hull of this. Glad she's up and running again:



Move, yer bastard!



The farmers beyond this line were just ploughing arid ground and watching the dust head for a final destination of New Zealand. Seriously dudes.








Brand new still-hotmix just for me?






So a bit of rain flows through here once in a blue moon, does it?





I tried to stick to the speed limit in Wilpena Pound, but I couldn't walk that fast:


Why can't I ride on this?


Neat single track, surely?:





Do some stunts up here:


Queen Lizard:



Large or small scale, there's geology everywhere:






See if you can find any meteorites:
 
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TimC

TimC

Tour Pro
Not the stablest of setups to be riding on this stuff in Brachina Gorge:



Not wobbly:


Cut it all down and mine it for iron:






Not quite sure why I set up a tent. Probably the drop-bears:





Nice paps:


Signs Lake Eyre is in once-a-century flood levels. There's actually water out here:





The early settlers seem to have come at a similarly optimistic time then realised the realities of the situation this far north of Goyder's line at Farina:

 
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TimC

TimC

Tour Pro
The road isn't yet open to stupid people on bikes. 4WD open only. Remember, this is flat country, and Lake Eyre is in record breaking floods. And what's that vehicle, the only one I've seen all day, going past?




Well, since I stupidly let that 4WD past and I'm back on my lonesome, with no one available to help me pick bikes up out of slippery shit, I guess this is the end of the road (know your limits):



Hold on, some brilliant spark noticed a road on the map, leading into a station a few km south, which might bypass this mess as it heads back into Marree. Well, I guess this really is my turnaround point:

(notice how nothing's been on that road since the last (unknown) time it rained?)

Proud new posession of a strap!


Strap purchased from Leigh Creek, after previously riding along at 100km/h and reaching back to the damaged Andy-Strapzped-on pannier to see how securely latched it was. It fell right off into my hand. Slowed to a stop without throttle/brake hand, pulled off into the dirt, and fell over for the N-th time that day when I couldn't shift my weight to the left side. I r dumn.

All fixes are temporary. I used the strap for another year beyond until I finally got around to getting Glitch to fit a new latch for me.

Nice country but!




 
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TimC

TimC

Tour Pro
History of various types:




I like peas, steamed (shit, I really should eat dinner):


Bike country:


These fossil filled cliffs are a shit load higher than the Murray. And the sea, in the case of those sea shells:



As a kid, I lived just behind a levi bank protecting Curwlaa from the creek. The creek was 20km wide in the other direction in 1956. I can't imagine how wide the Murray was down here then:



Unicycle:


Hot spare ferry:


How long's this been a dual lane highway?









Take a swim in here, I dare ya (hint, my feet were incased in ice for the rest of my ride home):


Not a bad road when there's no traffic:


The end:


So, in conclusion, SA's just a little bit shit, hey?


Rest of set here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/spacelama/sets/72157650266548807
 
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